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Mohammed Bilal
Inclusion & Belonging Specialist; Director, Inclusion, Equity, and Access in a Learning Environment, President & Provost Office, Stanford University
Mohammed Bilal
Inclusion & Belonging Specialist; Director, Inclusion, Equity, and Access in a Learning Environment, President & Provost Office, Stanford University
Biography
Mohammed Soriano-Bilal, MBA, is an accomplished Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) strategist, a poet, and an award-winning producer of both music and film. He is probably best known as the voice of reason on MTV's Real World San Francisco.
He has spent the last 20 years using equity-focused strategy to help Fortune 500 companies like X (Twitter), Whirlpool, and LinkedIn remove blockages that stand in the way of innovation, growth, and impact.
As a multi-disciplinarian artist-- Mohammed has collaborated with Santana, Public Enemy, Ben Harper, De La Soul, Danny Glover and Mos Def; his music has been featured on NBC, the CW, and the Sundance Film Festival.
Mohammed is now a doctoral candidate at the University of California Berkeley School of Education, where his research explores how DEI-centered Communities of Practice inform and influence senior higher education leaders tasked with implementing equity-focused change efforts.
He currently serves as Director of IDEAL Advancement in Stanford University’s President & Provost’s Office (IEAC), where his team oversees implementation of the university’s largest equity-focused organizational change initiative, IDEAL.
Speaker Videos
Mohammed Bilal Raps About the Importance of Diversity
Candid Conversations - Mohammad Bilal
Formative Years In The Police State - with Mohammad Bilal, Filmmaker and Educator
Speech Topics
Freedom Dialogues: Navigating Conflict & Fostering a Liberatory Culture in Higher Education
Workshop Summary (one-off): Take advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for navigating conflicts and promoting social justice through freedom and liberation dialogues in higher education institutions.
Course Summary (4-8 sessions): Embark on a transformative journey with the workshop, "Freedom Dialogues: Navigating Conflict and Fostering a Liberatory Culture in Higher Education." Join Mohammed Soriano-Bilal (he/him), Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stanford University, in exploring how intergroup dialogue can be a powerful tool in addressing conflicts and promoting liberatory practices within higher education institutions. This journey promises to be transformative, inspiring you to act and make a difference in your institutions. Based on Psychology 103: Intergroup Group Communication, the course Mohammed co-instructs with Professor Hazel Markus, the Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, we will delve into the multifaceted role of dialogue in creating inclusive and equitable environments for all stakeholders – staff, students, and faculty alike. Through experiential activities, participants will learn how to harness the power of dialogue to build empathy, navigate socio-political animus, and foster a liberatory culture.
Key topics include:
- Understanding the transformative potential of dialogue in addressing conflicts and fostering liberation.
- Strategies for promoting empathy and understanding among diverse stakeholders.
- Techniques for challenging oppressive systems and structures within higher education institutions.
- Empowering marginalized voices to drive meaningful change and advocate for social justice.
By the end of the workshop, participants will emerge equipped with actionable insights and concrete strategies for implementing a transformative dialogue program at their respective institutions. These practical strategies are ready to be implemented, giving you the confidence and preparedness to create inclusive communities where conflicts are addressed and navigated constructively toward a liberatory way of learning, knowing, and being.
How to Create Brave & Safer Spaces
We live in a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty, a situation that has forced many to seek refuge in comfortable, familiar spaces devoid of meaningful differences and ideological challenges. How do we create safer, structured environments where people from different social identities can explore power, privilege, positionality, and systems of belief? This is a workshop that utilizes experiential activities and scholarship to catalyze intergroup dialogue and understanding across differences. Participants will learn dialogic methods for examining their own social identity and its relationship to power, alongside skills for designing braver and safer spaces for all.
12 Steps Towards Inclusion
Have you ever been misunderstood due to cultural differences? Have you ever longed for everyday, logical, concrete steps for communicating and forming strong, lasting connections across difference? With this presentation, Mohammed has helped thousands of people move beyond diversity toward inclusion and belonging. His 12 Steps Towards Inclusion is a fun, interactive presentation sprinkled with scholarship, hip-hop, and self-reflective narratives that equip the participant with easy, valuable, and powerful tools for appreciating the wondrous diversity around us.
Nurturing Small Wins as a Strategy for Change
Learn how to harness the power of small victories as a strategy for cultivating meaningful change in your organization or community. In this session, Mohammed Soriano-Bilal shares insights from organizational development and inclusive leadership. Regardless of your role in your community or organization, discover how small actions can signal a commitment to inclusion while laying the groundwork for lasting cultural transformation. Discover the importance of fostering inclusivity through intentional care. From initiating crucial conversations to implementing equitable practices, this workshop provides a roadmap for driving tangible and lasting change. Emerge equipped with practical strategies and frameworks that lead to embracing patience and persistence along the way as you transform your workplace or community, one small win at a time.
Testimonials
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